The Fall of the Trident
by CreatedInFyre7
Summary: Arkantos is a hero of Atlantis, and a respected Commander of the Atlantean fleet. But after a year of chasing pirates, he is ready for a change of pace. But what he doesn't realise is that a series of events will lead him to the most difficult, most dangerous, but possibly the greatest adventure of his life. Old friends reunited, new friends made, and an enemy that no one expected
1. Prologue: Troubled Sleep

**A/N: Hello! Welcome to my first FanFic! **

**I recently began playing AoM again, and sating my curiosity, I checked to see if there were any fanfics. There were only a couple that I could find, so I decided to change that. The idea has been bouncing around in my head for a while, and I have a few of my own ideas about where I want the story to go, but I am eager to hear what ideas others can come up with :). I don't know about any other sources, but there is never much information given about the characters in-game, so I am going to make it up. Of course, there will be romance, because I can't help myself :P.**

**But I digress. Please proceed!**

**Prologue:**

_Troubled Sleep._

He gripped the hard shaft of his javelin tightly in his hands, dark eyes intent on the creature before him. The two circled each other, careful steps strangely silent on the uneven ground.

In his periphery, he could see figures, man and beast alike, shrouded in an ethereal mist all around them. Misshapen shadows lurked behind them, and beyond, the man knew the sea lay at the base of the cliff combat ground. He could hear the waves crashing against the rocks, smell the bitter salt, feel the wind against his weathered skin.

All that, and because he had been in this very place before. Many times.

Too many times.

His eyes stayed locked with his opponent's own glowing yellow, and the sweet sound of the sea was broken by a low, harsh growling. His adversary's sharp, canine teeth grew visible, as the lips drew upwards in a snarl. The two curved blades the creature held glinted brightly, despite the dim light of the moon above them.

Then, it struck.

The man dove to the side, rolling to avoid the deadly strikes. He heard, and felt the _'shink'_ as one, or both of the weapons made a sound against his armour. Expertly, he spun to his feet, the wooden pole in his hands held precisely, with a warrior's proficiently, with a veteran's experience…

With a veteren's heavy use. It even held scars of its own. He could feel the marks with his palms, fitting perfectly with callouses they bore.

As the beast came at him again, the growling rising to a roar, the man darted forwards, and at the last moment, crouched low and thrust the bladed end of his javelin straight into the charging fiend's chest. The roar ended abruptly with a snarled bark of surprise and pain. The yellow eyes flickered, then went dark.

The beast, what he knew to be an Anubite, slipped off the end of his weapon when the man stood and pulled away. It fell with a dead thud onto the ground, blades skittering away into the mist.

But before he could even take a breath, the figures around him vanished in simultaneous flashes of light, and a soft, feminine voice spoke, from behind him.

**"That looked like Theris."**

Caught off guard, the aged warrior whirled around, spear half coming up until he saw the new arrival, the beam of light that always heralded Her entrance just dissipating. Her white armour seemed to shimmer with an inner radiance, as did her pale skin. A small curl of auburn hair trailed out from underneath her gleaming plumed helmet

_Athena._

**"It has been a long time since you sent him the Underworld, Arkantos," **The Goddess said, the blueness of Her eyes taking his breath away even now, after all this time. She gave him a small, quizzical smile, the depth of the question only lying in those azure pools.

**"Fighting old battles again?"**

Arkantos looked down just in time to see Theris' body vanishing as well. He closed his eyes, weariness washing over him in a near physical ache.

"Yes" he said, his own voice heavy with the tiredness he felt. Not a tangible fatigue, but the weight of all the years, all the battles he had behind him, and all the lives he had extinguished on the way.

The steady gaze of the Goddess before him softened slightly. As the deity of tactical warfare, She knew, perhaps more than anyone else, what he had been through in his many years. And as the Mistress of Justice, She could understand the weight of all the lives he had taken.

"Old enemies," he continued, breaking away from Her gaze as he gestured around him, "I still see them here." As he turned, the mist seemed to clear as a faint light glowed on the unearthly horizon. The moon vanished, as the 'night' quickly dissolved into 'day'. The mist yellowed into whirling flurries of dust.

**"You have won more battles for Atlantis than can be counted,"** Her voice was still gentle and low, stating rather than praising his accomplishments. His mouth twitched slightly at the words.

**"Faced no other opponents dared fight."**

"That was long ago," he cut in, his voice sounding curter than he'd intended. "Today Atlantis' enemies live only in my dreams."

This time, his mouth twisted in derision in a mix of irony and regret. "I face feeble _pirates_ now".

**"Is that what you believe, Atlantian?"**

He had no answer for Her. He had been feeling restless as of late, the monotony of his daily life chasing down the marauders in the Mediterranean and the seas around his home island chafing against his warrior's soul. A lifetime spent in service, against powerful rivals and worthy enemies, and he was reduced to chasing down Kamos' cronies. It was the Minotaur himself that Arkantos was after, but the blasted beast had run off to his base, whereabouts still unknown.

He had been pursuing Kamos and the pirates under his command for almost a year, and Arkantos was tired of it. Tired, angry and itching for a change of pace.

Did he want to fight another battle? He already had enough of them to take with him to the Underworld when the Gods finally called him there.

No, he didn't have an answer for the Goddess.

**"Atlantis still has enemies,"** She said then, voice washing away his thoughts live the waves still crashing at the rocks below.

**"And ****_you_**** are still the one who will face them."**

Eyes narrowed, teeth clenched, he spun around to meet Her gaze again.

"Any who threaten _my _home, or _my _family, will soon have a place in my dreams."

The Goddess was not smiling now. Her perfect mouth was stern, stare direct and clear.

**"These are enemies unlike any other, Arkantos – do not let your guard down."**

The warning was unmistakable; it's meaning, or purpose, not quite so. Arkantos felt a disquieting chill down his back.

**"Dark times are coming,"** She continued, as the mist began to thicken again, masking everything, including the Goddess Herself in a heavy white blanket, **"and you are needed."**

**"Arkantos, awaken…"**

* * *

"Admiral…sir…"

Arkantos woke abruptly, an ache between his shoulder blades crashing down on his with his return to the waking realm. He winced at the pain in his joints.

He was dreaming too much lately. He wondered if that was a side-effect to age.

A hand on his shoulder brought him back to the moment, and he saw a crewman leaning down, stance respectful and polite.

"Yes?" he asked.

"We've sighted land of the horizon," the man replied, stepping back as his Commander made to stand, "we should reach Atlantis soon."

Relief hit Arkantos like a fresh breath of air.

Home again at last.

He was a patriotic man, a loyal son of Atlantis, and devout follower of his God. Poseidon had been the Patron of the island for as long as anyone could remember.

But it was not just the sight of his homeland that Arkantos wished for.

Ever since the death of his wife more than 10 years earlier, there was only one person that he wanted to see more than anyone else. The thing he treasured more than anything…

"Excellent. It will be good to see my son Kastor again."

* * *

**So there it is. Hope you enjoyed it.**

**Arkantos is probably one of my all-time favourite gaming characters. I hope to do him credit. That being said, I can't ****_wait_**** to start writing Ajax and Amanra.**

**Please, pretty please review :D.**

**~~CreatedInFyre7 3.**


	2. Omens, Part 1

**A/N: Hey there! Welcome to chapter 1!**

**I don't plan on these notes to be too long mostly, since most of you just want to get to the story, so I'll try to keep them short. Someone reviewed! I never imagined how one little piece of writing could make me so happy ^_^ and yet, here it is.**

**So thank you, my lovely reviewer! You know who you are ;).**

**And without further ado, heres the fic!**

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

_Omens. _Part 1

The man port of Atlantis was always busy, filled with the comings and goings of merchants and traders, all overseen by the dedicated fleet of the Navy. The Atlantean fleet was a force to be reckoned with, commandeered by a group of men who answered only to the Council.

There was no king on Atlantis. The closest thing to one was perhaps the Speaker for the Council, who mediated the meetings and controlled the ballots. It was he who spoke for the Council, and thus, spoke for all of Atlantis.

And it was he who Arkantos was to report to upon his arrival back home.

* * *

Theocrat, the current Speaker, had many virtues, and he was one of the best Speakers Atlantis had had in living memory, but if he had one flaw, it was that he was not a very patient man.

With this in mind, Arkantos left his ship under the watch of his first mate and headed through the port on the way to the Acropolis. Citizens, recognising him, called out their greetings and pleasure at his return. In reply to this, Arkantos smiled and stopped occasionally to thank them.

He wasn't putting off talking to Theocrat. Not at all.

Eventually though, he did arrive at the _Agora*_, just in time for the end of the Council meeting as men dressed in_chitons _and _chlamys_ began pouring out of the forum. Not wanting to be swamped under bureaucrat praises and invitations again, Arkantos kept out of sight, waiting for the place to empty.

Like most Admirals, he had to deal with politics fairly regularly. But as a soldier, he preferred to let the more eloquent of men handle the talking, since sometimes, he found he tried to let his sword or _dory_* speak for him.

And as a veteran, more often than not, Arkantos had chafed under the political restrictions war sometimes produced. Blood spent on the battlefield didn't seem to matter to some when the end of a dispute occurred in an official building, run by old men who hadn't seen the hundreds of dead littering the ground, or heard the sounds of the injured or dying lying amongst them.

Arkantos shook his head, getting the ringing of battles past out of his ears. If there was one thing he could say about the past year, chasing pirates was much simpler than war.

As the last few Council members filtered out into the city, Arkantos stepped out from behind the column and headed towards the entrance. Idly, he wondered where Kastor was.

As if summoned by his thoughts, a voice rang out around the deserted limestone columns.

"Father!"

As he turned, Arkantos let out a grunt of surprise as a fairly solid force ran into him, forcing him back a step. He looked down to see a mess of black hair resting on his leather jerkin.

His face broke out into a delighted grin.

"Kastor!" He returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around his son, his only family left on this earth.

Laughing, Kastor finally released his father and stood back, grinning up at him.

Arkantos blinked.

"You got taller" he said, seeing that his son was several inches taller than the last time he's seen him. The teenager's grin grew.

"Yes! I am now almost as tall as you!" Arkantos' own grin surfaced at this, ruffling his son's already untidy mop of hair.

"Just about, my boy." The lad made a sound of protest at the motion, but it was lost in the happiness of his father's return.

Their relationship was an unusual one, though in their defense, Arkantos was hardly a conventional man. His own parents had died in an accident when he was only 8, and his uncle Andros had cared for him until he'd entered the navy. Andros had died a few years later. His wife's mother had died giving birth to her, and her father had passed away shortly after due to grief. They were both only children.

When his wife had left this world, it had left him with only one relative; their son. As a result, they were exceedingly close.

Kastor had asked more than once to come along with him on his missions, both to spend time with him, and also to escape from the routine and chafing safety of Atlantis. Arkantos knew that he couldn't put off his requests much longer. Kastor was almost 14, near the age Arkantos himself had entered his service.

Not for the first time, Arkantos' thoughts strayed back through his life, remembering all he had done, and all he had seen.

And again, not for the first time, he decided the time wasn't yet right for Kastor to see the world.

"So, my son, how are you progressing in your lessons?" he asked as they stepped into the Hall.

Kastor gave a pleased smile.

"I have been training with Master Eresius almost every day!" Arkantos' gaze slid down to the sword at the young man's waist. It was a simple weapon, but it was still strange seeing it there. Kastor was obviously carrying it around regularly.

Ah to be that age…

Arkantos could remember what it was like.

Barely.

"Arkantos!" Theocrat's voice rang out from an adjacent corridor, and the pair turned to see him striding towards them, his expression slightly grim. At this, Arkantos frowned, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach.

He knew what that look meant…

* * *

"You cannot ignore the omens, Arkantos. Lord Poseidon's displeasure is clear."

The stern-faced politician stared down at the man in front of him, leaving no room for debate.

Unfortunately perhaps for him, Arkantos had faced too many fearsome beasts in his time, and the bearded, elderly man in standing before him was nothing in comparison.

He remained steadfast, and resistant.

"Troops we send their now will be lucky to arrive before the fight is over" he fired back, almost indignant.

"Even they do," he continued, exasperation only heightening, "their only task will be to show the banner of Atlantis…**not** the task for an Admiral."

He'd had enough of sailing around with next to nothing to show for it. He was ready to spend some time at home.

Kastor looked fairly uncomfortable standing between the two of them. Young as he was, even he could tell that his father was almost crossing the line refusing his new orders, regardless of Arkantos' own status. He kept quiet, observing both in awe and apprehension.

Theocrat's tone turned slightly reproving, as he tried to be more reasonable with his irascible Admiral.

"It would shame Agamemnon if we sent one of your junior officers – he already complains that we do not pay enough attention to the Greek colonies." At this, Arkantos fought down the urge to snort of derision. Theocrat's eyes narrowed, as if sensing Arkantos' disdain.

"No, it must be **you**."

Arkantos opened his mouth, to say just what he thought about Agamemnon's 'concerns', when an inhuman _roar_ shattered the air. The three men jerked around in surprise, and together, they ran to the edge of the _Agora_, to a cliff side which overlooked the port.

From that vantage point, Arkantos could see the tentacles rising from the waves, and wrapping around a fishing boat which had anchored not far from the shore, while screams from both the bystanders and from the vessel itself mixed in with the creature's own groans.

As they watched in horrified disbelief, the boat, with a great cracking sound, broke into several pieces and sank beneath the churning water.

"What in the name of-?" Arkantos' shock was broken as he watched an archer start firing at the monster. More shouts rose as other's joined him.

His gaze hardened. There was work to be done.

"Kastor."

The boy jumped as his father turned and abruptly strode away from them, gaining speed with each step.  
"Stay here!"

By the time he'd reached the exit of the building, Arkantos was running.

By the time he reached the beach, several _petrobolos*_ hadarrived, and were also projecting their volley against the kraken, and it was working. The combined efforts of the archers and the machines were wearing it down, though not before a couple of unfortunate _hoplites_ standing too close to the monster were snatched from the shore and disappeared beneath the waves, much like the ship.

Arkantos pushed aside the stab of regret at the loss of his _sýntrofoi* _and rushed forward himself. With a roar of his own, he brandished his javelin and jabbed the tipped end in between two flailing tentacles and into its fetid flesh.

The creature shrieked its pain and rage, lashing out at the thing that had hurt it. Arkantos dodged each and every swing, continuing his grim task. Encouraged by their leaders appearance, the soldiers around him let out their own battle cries and seemed to attack with more fury, with more, fresh troops hurrying up from the military academy.

Just a few minutes after the attack began the creature finally lost its fight with exhaustion and the numerous oozing wounds caused by sword, arrow and spear. It let out a final, hollow groan and sank under the water.

Cheers sprang up from the ranks of men surrounding Arkantos, while the Admiral himself stared out into the bay.

Something occurred to him. While Atlantis' patron god was Poseidon and they maintained a force to be reckoned with on the sea, the sea itself was a wild and often vicious mistress. It contained many secrets and dangers, seelie and unseelie. The kraken was but one of them and, as he had seen on occasion, it sometimes followed the commands of mortals.

And there was one mortal that Arkantos knew had domination over the colossal squid.

And he knew that it was unlikely that the kraken was the only thing Kamos would throw at them.

"Well done!" His grinning soldiers turned to him, but they faded as the men took in his grim expression.

"But," Arkantos continued, seeing a determined calm come over his men as they stood to attention, "we should prepare ourselves for more attacks.

While his men stationed themselves in platoons around the harbour, Arkantos assessed the situation.

With the men he already had, he could defend the bay against a normal attack, like a single kraken or a small force of enemy soldiers, but against a force any larger than that, he knew that they wouldn't stand a chance. It was a peaceful time in Atlantis, and with any major battles fought miles away, the people of the island thought they were safe. As such, much of the island's fighters were dispersed around the towns at their own homes.

He knew that he could recall them, but it would take time. And time might not be something they had if what he suspected proved to be right.

A lookout's cry of alarm, from his vantage point in a watchtower, verified Arkantos' fears.

"Black sails! A landing party!"  
As the ship came into view, Arkantos felt his heart sink. It was a _kebenit*_, Kamos' favoured style. And the red insignia blazoned across the pitch black canvas was further proof.

His decision made, Arkantos dispatched his scouts. He was recalling his troops.

* * *

Arkantos had developed, like most career soldiers, an ability to only let his exhaustion affect him after the heat of battle had faded. The longer his body was held alert by the rush only a fight could bring, the more he would suffer for it later. And as the years went on, the older he got, it took longer and longer for him to recover.

As the last of the landing party fell to the dirt dying, Arkantos felt the familiar ache settle in his muscles.

What he wouldn't give to have Ajax's strength right then. That man never seemed to tire, Gods help him.

Arkantos raised his weary head as the sound of running feet reach him. Dodging in between the tiring soldiers, a messenger slid to a stop, panting in front of his commander.

"Sir! The Atlantean army is on the way!"

Relief bubbled up within the warrior. Thank Poseidon!

"How long?" He demanded.

"Two leagues!"

Two leagues. That meant it would take them about 2-4 hours. And with raiding parties and more sea monsters coming every 30 minutes or so…

Arkantos felt the relief he had felt surface only moments before crumble.

Even with the relief still trailing in from the nearby countryside, the army might not make it in time.

And yet…

"Another kraken approaches! Pray this is the last!"

At the sound of the lookout's voice, Arkantos' question came out almost unbidden as he lifted his spear again.

"The black sails won't take Atlantis this way. What are they thinking…?"

* * *

**There is more to this chapter in the game, but I decided I'll release them in two parts. One, because I don't like really long chapters, and two, because I'm lazy and want to get more out sooner rather than later. And my boyfriend is bugging me to write more of my original story (sorry babe! x) I've almost finished part 2, so (hopefully) it should be out in a day or so, if uni doesn't get in the way.**

**Reviews welcome! Critiques likewise. Flames, not so much. Advice and suggestions very welcome!**

**~~CreatedInFyre7.**

****Helpful glossary! These are all from wiki if you want a more in-depth explanation than mine.**

_Agora – _central spot in Greek city states. Literal meaning is "gathering place" or "assembly". It was the centre of most of the significant aspects of Greek life and culture.

_dory - _spear or javelin. Chief armament of Hoplites in ancient Greece. In AoM, it was Arkantos' main weapon.

_chitons – _form of sewn clothing worn by ancient Greeks. There were different versions for men and women.

_chlamys – _a type of clothing, like a cloak worn by ancient Greeks, worn occasionally over other clothes, but often by itself. Seen frequently on Greek vase paintings.

_petrobolos – _catapult, name taken directly from the AoM game. Historically, such weapons were not largely used until early A.D., though evidence exists that shows how early they _could_ have been used. The closest used in the era would be the Ballista.

_sýntrofoi – _Greek word for partner, comrade, mate etc. Used Google Translate J

_kebenit – _also taken directly from the game. Lighter offensive ship available in the Egyptian Classical Age.


	3. Omens, Part 2

**A/N: Hello peeps.**

**So yeah, turns out I was busy all weekend, and most of the week -_-. It wasn't uni that got in the way though, no sir. It was just life in general this time. Gotta pay the bills and all that. Transitioning out of a new job into a new one is hard, and it is something that sucks all the enthusiasm out of me. That, and I had a pretty awful day yesterday. One of the most awful things for any employee is getting shouted at by customers for doing your job. And this time, it was for doing what my manager asked me to do.**

**The only thing that kept me from hitting something (probably the customer) was the knowledge that I am only there for another week and a half.**

**Yeah, anyways. Enough about my life. Onto the rest of chapter 1 :D.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1:**

_Omens. _Part 2.

As the last man fell beneath the volley of arrows sent by Atlantean archers, Arkantos felt yet _another_ surge of exhaustion flood through his body. It was much worse this time.

Perhaps, Arkantos though with a grimace, he truly was getting old. It didn't seem fair; he was, after all, only 38.

"Another landing party!"

Arkantos jerked, pulled from his thoughts and saw another _kebenit_ sail around the bend and into the harbour and following right behind it was a further two. Frustration found its way into his thoughts with the next immersion this time.

Where in the name of Poseidon was the damn fleet?! How were they getting in?! If he lived through this attack, he seethed, he was going to have _words_ with his captains about this.

Despite the desperate cascade of arrows launched from the watch towers at the harbour opening, the ships reached the beach, axemen and slingers pouring from the decks the moment they landed. Arkantos entered the fray, his bellows of encouragement to the men fighting at his side becoming hoarser and hoarser as his voice was reduced to a weak rasp. Every few steps he took, his foot caught itself on a human limb lying on the ground. The sand of the beach was soaked in blood.

And yet, when he managed to catch a brief moment and was able to look up, he could see more ships landing and more men leaping from them.

They just kept coming. He could see the colours of his men diminish gradually, as each man fell. The blue of Atlantis was falling beneath a haze of red…

"Arkantos!"

The drained man raised his head, directly weary eyes in the direction of the voice.

"The Atlantean army has arrived!" Before his eyes, a mass of 'Lantean blue appeared other the edge of the hill from the Acropolis. Leading them was the Amazonian queen, Hippolyta.

The ringing blast of a battle horn smote him from the west. When he turned, he was further stunned by the appearance of Atalanta, at the head of a several dozen _Hypaspist*_.

As they neared, Atalanta cried out.

"Command us, Arkantos!"

At the sounds, the pirates had stopped fighting and looked at the oncoming army with a growing looks of horror on their faces. At the sight of the approaching force, Arkantos' men had let out a cheer.

A grin spread out on his face.

"Attack!" Responding to his shout, the army poured over the crest and the crashed into the opposing force with a shimmering clang of steel on steel, metal in flesh and the mixing of battle cries with the cries of the dying.

Another kraken gave a groan as it too fell, collapsing into the shallow water, tentacles trailing out over the sand.

Arkantos, breathing heavily with exertion, was finally able to take stock of the battle. What he saw made him smile grimly. The pirates were bring driven back towards their ships by the Atlantean army, while Hippolyta and her archers rained a deadly hail into their midst, careful about their targets.

Abruptly, the _kebenits _still lingering in the harbour began to veer away, along with the two surviving kraken. A surprised, jubilant shout went up from the blue-clad soldiers.

"The Black sails are fleeing!"Atalanta, who had been standing near him, gave him a vicious grin and joined her men in a roar of victory.

"It will take more than pirates to overrun Atlantis!"

The wounded had been taken to the infirmary, and the others had been led off to the barracks to clean their weapons and take their rest. Villagers were already at work repairing the damaged buildings, and Arkantos could swear the fires just mysteriously vanished more seconds ticked by. It always surprised him how quickly a building was built or repaired.

Taking his eyes away from the busy workers, he returned to his previous contemplation.

They had repelled the attack, and with only minimalistic casualties, and proved that despite being far away from any wars, Atlantis' defences were still a powerful and effective force.

But, there were a few things that kept Arkantos from celebrating with his men. The first was where was the damned navy? By this time, they still hadn't arrived, and Arkantos' frustration was fading to concern. The second was that the sea monsters had kept coming. Surely Poseidon wouldn't allow his creatures to attack his own worshippers?

And the last, and most dominant of his thoughts, was why the pirates were attacking them in the first place. They could not have though that they could defeat them that easily…?

"Another message from Poseidon, Arkantos…" Theocrat's voice came from behind him, as Kastor stopped beside his father, looking at his neutral features in concern, "his creatures help the Pirates."

Arkantos' lips twisted briefly, his only acknowledgement to the remark.

Then, something broke him from his thoughts.

"Father! They stole the trident!"

"What?!" he turned in shock to glance at his son, then peered at the statue of the Patron God of Atlantis, rising from the water in the middle of the harbour. No sunlight glinted of the plated metal of the pronged weapon that usually adorned the white marble. Kastor was right.

"Yes" Theocrat's voice this time was tinged with a faint reproving tone, "it was stolen during the fighting."

Arkantos glared at the blood-soaked sand at his feet.

"Kamos…" he spat through clenched teeth, his fist closing and nails digging into calloused palms. Quiet footsteps in sand behind him heralded Theocrat's movements.

"There could not be a clearer sign, Arkantos. We are losing Poseidon's Favour!"

It was just as before; Theocrat requesting him to go to Troy to assist the Greek armies. But this time, the Speaker of the Council's voice was tinged in desperation. He was _begging_ him.

"We _must_ act!"

Oh for the love of…

"I will go to Troy as you ask" the veteran Admiral finally conceded to his superior's appeal. He turned and stared down at the aged man.

"I'm going to get that trident back on the way." Theocrat met the stare steadily, and slowly nodded. Arkantos turned to his first officer, who was standing to attention just a short distance away.

"Zethos!" The younger man back straightened, waiting for his orders.

"Take supplies aboard and get the men together. We're setting sail."

Zethos slammed a fist to his breastplate, and he and the battalion of hoplites behind him turned and hurried to the docks.

"Can I come?"

Arkantos jerked his head down to look into his son's earnest, excited face. Ready to follow, ready to fight. Ready for battle.

"No," his face fell, "I need you here in case they come back." Kastor stared hard into his father's affable face, and Arkantos hoped he didn't see the real reason behind his eyes.

Eventually, he nodded.

"Do not worry," Arkantos continued, his gentle smile melting into a hard stare just beyond him.

"This _errand_ will not take long."

I am coming for you Kamos. This is the last straw. You will not escape me again.

Arkantos watched as his men loaded the various supplies of food, water, materials, and weapons aboard his ship, _'Sword of Atlas*'_. Everything they would need for the journey ahead. Three additional ships would follow them, the _'Star of Tyro*'_, _'Hope of Alope*'_, and _'Caeneus' Spear*'_, also holding the things they would need, including workman and villagers who would work on the defences and gather additional food for the warriors.

Arkantos was taking no chances.

"Father."

He turned. Kastor stood behind him, eyes narrowed.

Arkantos sighed. He was expecting this. His son, while young and a little too enthusiastic at times, was not stupid.

"Kastor-"

"Father, why can I not come with you?" He would not accept a conciliatory answer this time, Arkantos knew. He wanted a proper answer.

The true one.

Inwardly, the experienced warrior knew that in 'truth', this was likely to be a difficult battle. This argument with his son was going to be difficult.

"It is because you do not think I am ready, is it not?" Kastor's eyes had darkened in a strange resentment. It was something he hadn't seen in the youth's face before. Arkantos frowned.

"No, that-"

"But it is!" Kastor cut across him again, causing his father's own eyes to narrow. "You want me to stay here and keep training! Father, I am not a child anymore! I am almost fourteen! You have told me that you were fourteen that day the pirates raided the city*, and took up arms for the first time against them. I have been training since I was but eight, and while I have never been a battle, neither had you back then. Why will you not you let me come with you?!"

The lad was shaking, his fists clenched almost as tightly as his teeth. Arkantos took a moment to study his only son before he answered.

He was angry, frustrated and embarrassed, but underneath that, Arkantos could see the boy who was chafing under the peaceful life of the island capital. Kastor had inherited the boundless energy and sense of adventure and action that Arkantos himself had possessed at his age.

That, combined with the need to see his father, spend time with him, and stand beside him, caused an ache deep inside him that resulted in resentment and anger simmering on the surface.

During all this, Arkantos had been silently observing him. The lengthening scrutiny was only increasing the youth's ire, and just when he was about burst out in frustrated rage again, Arkantos spoke, his voice low, quiet, and his words came out slow, as if blown on a gentle breeze.

"It is not that you are not ready, Kastor. It is that I am not ready."

At this Kastor opened his mouth, but immediately shut up in shock at hearing the next words.

"I am not ready to see you in a true battle yet."

Kastor stared in stunned silence at his father, before a frown marred his youthful face.

"But, you said that the war would be over by the time you got there. And you fight pirates all the time. I am trained, Father. Let me prove that I can-"

But Arkantos was shaking his head.

"Kastor" he smiled gently at his son, his only child, only thing left from his Halia*. The stubbornness he was showing he must have gotten from the both of them.

"I know you have been trained, my son. And I have the faith of all the Gods in you," at this, Kastor could not help a small smile of pride at his father's words, "but as ready as you are, _I_ am not ready to see you enter in a fight, and true fight yet. And I would not see you anywhere near that madness that I am bound to see in Anatolia*. I may be a warrior, Kastor, but I am also a father, and I have no wish to have my son see the horrors I have seen just yet."

Kastor's anger had abated, easing with his father's confession. He was gazing at him silently, and Arkantos met it, unflinching.

Finally, Kastor responded.

"I…think I understand, father. I will accept your will." At this Arkantos nodded, inwardly relieved.

This faded as Kastor continued.

"But the next time you leave for a mission, I _am_ coming with you."

The Admiral of Atlantis blinked down at his son, seeing the set line of his mouth, and hard, determined eyes.

"Are you now?" Arkantos countered, attempting to keep a smile off his face. The corners of his lips betrayed him with a twitch.

"Yes" Kastor answered simply. Then, he gave a quick grin.

"I want to you there on my first mission."

To this, Arkantos' eyes widened briefly, and then the smile he was suppressing broke free.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, my son. You have my oath; your first mission for Atlantis, I will be there."

With that, they clasped each other's forearms, then Arkantos pulled him forward into an embrace, before he released him, and strode onto his ship, who had finished their preparations and were waiting for him.

As '_Sword of Atlas' _and her companion ships sailed out of the harbour of Atlantis, a slight figure could still be seen standing on the beach. It was waving. And nobody on the ships said a word as their commander raised an arm to wave back, before the sea winds caught the _Atlas'_ sails, and pulled them away.

Moments later, they were around the harbour entrance, and the figure vanished from view.

**And there you have it. Chapter 1. Hope you liked it. I will admit that this was out later than I planned, but honestly I haven't had much time or inclination to write much this past week. Uni, work, bed, then repeat. Too tired and too lazy to do much else. Oh well. I hope to get started on the next chapter sometime over the week.**

**A couple of things. First, I included the last bit because it honestly seemed natural to me that Kastor would want to come with Arkantos. He's a young man with a famous father, a trained warrior who is stuck living on an island where nothing much happens. That combined with the traditions of Ancient Greece would definitely cause some frustration to a boy that age, teenage status notwithstanding.**

**Second, you may notice that I made some references to some things. Halia, for example. This is the name I picked for Arkantos' wife, if you hadn't guess already. Most men in those times, I'd imagine, would have gotten remarried again, but Arkantos hasn't. This will be explained later on in the story. Also, the reference to pirates raiding Atlantis is something I got off the character page on Wiki. If this is wrong (which wouldn't surprise me, since it's Wikipedia), messege me ****.**

**Whoops! Enough of my babble.**

'**Til next time!**

**~~~CreatedInFyre7.**

**Glossary time!**

_Hypaspist – _In AoM, they are archer counters, trained out the Archery Range in the Greek Heroic Age. In history, Hypapists were likely armed as Hoplites, with shields and spears.

'_Sword of Atlas' – _Atlas was a primordial titan in Greek Mythology who held up Uranos, the Sky, as punishment after the Titanomachy (War of the Titans against the Olympians). According to Plato, Atlas was also the name of the first King of Atlantis, and was the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman.

'_Star of Tyro' – _In Greek Mythology, Poseidon became full of lust for the woman Tyro, who was in love with the river God Epineus. Poseidon disguises himself as Epineus in order to seduce her.

'_Hope of Alope' – _Alope was a mortal woman seduced by Poseidon (does that a lot doesn't he? So do most of the male greek deities…. XD), due to her great beauty. She was also his granddaughter through the King of Eleusis Cercyon, and after being buried alive by him after begetting a son called Hippothoon, she was turned into a spring by Poseidon.

'Caeneus' Spear – Caeneus is an Argonautic hero, and also took part in the hunt of the Calydonian Boar . He was originally a woman called Caenis. The reasons behind his/her transformation vary according to sources.

Halia – means the Sun. In Greek Mythology she was a nymph, and the mother of seven children by Poseidon, including a daughter called Rhodos, after whom the island of Rhodes is named after.

Anatolia – ancient name of Asia Minor, now including most of modern Turkey.

**Whew! Never thought I'd have to brush up on my Greek Mythology in a story! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys.**

**I am a horrible writer. I meant to have this out a LONG time ago. After exams I didn't feel much like writing, and felt a general lack of enthusiasm for anything that involved it. I haven't written anything at all for a long time. Recently, I've been trying to get back into writing mode, and it seems to be working. This will be very short unfortunately. I want to catch up and finish the current pieces I am working on, and build up an update buffer for this fic before I post any more. I am also working on a One-Shot Collection and Blooper Collection for this fic. I hope to start those very soon. They will involve background fics mentioned over the course of the story, in addition to in-between drabbles and possible cross-overs. The Bloopers…well, you'll just have to wait and see ;).**

**Another note; someone favourited! :D This sort of thing gives me warm fuzzies inside.**

**On to the chapter!**

I forgot to add the Disclaimers! D: oops.

Right. Age of Mythology does not belong to me. This fic is only for my personal (and hopefully others) enjoyment. I only own the storyline, and the few OC I will introduce later on.

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

_Consequences. _Part 1.

The day was calm after the brief rain squall that had hit them during the night. If there was anything to be thankful for, Arkantos figured, it was that it had only rained. He had been in enough storms at sea to know that it could have been much, _much_, worse.

The only consequence to the overnight downpour was a somewhat higher level of bilge water. That caused some grumbling among the soldiers, though this was fairly quickly silenced by a simple glare from their commander.

It had only been a few days since they had left Atlantis. Tracking Kamos had been made easier by the trail he had left behind in the Atlantean Archipelago. Several villages had reported either spotting the ships as they passed by their islands, or reporting the devastation caused by the attacks on them. At each visible column of smoke rising in the distance, Arkantos teeth clenched and his rage, burning at flickering embers, was kindled and stoked, and he was hard pressed to restrain his temper. He didn't want his anger released…

At least, not until Kamos was on the receiving end.

As the '_Sword of Atlas'_ led the way through the Pillars*, Arkantos sighed and leaned against the starboard side railings, eyes intent on the horizon, seeing the shadow of strange lands on the distance. The Adventurer in his heart itched to sail towards them and discover the wonders of a new place, but the soldier forged within him spoke grimly of the dangers and threats he would face. Many men had met their ends on new, unexplored places. New places, new dangers. And these dangers they knew not how to counter, unlike the dangers in the civilization of the Greek lands.

But still….

They called…

Zethos wandered up beside him. He had shed his armour and padding to reveal a light linen shirt, having been instructing a newer recruit how to control the steering oars, who was now under the careful watch of a lesser officer.

Arkantos liked Zethos. He was probably the most capable Second he had had in years. Though he was only from a lesser Family, Arkantos wasn't about to let him languish at his position for long. The younger man had the makings of a Captain, or even Admiral, if Arkantos had could manage it. Once Arkantos retired, they needed _someone_ to take over, and he would much prefer to leave his men in capable hands than in those who would lead them into an early, meaningless grave.

"How're the supplies?" Arkantos finally asked after a comfortable silence.

"Good, considering we had a problem with water getting into the food supplies. We had enough to last us just until we reach Syracuse*, then we'll need to re-supply. If not for that rain last night, we would have had to stop sooner, as we had been running low."

"That's good to hear," Atlantis smiled to himself. At least there was a silver lining to the loss of supplies. Syracuse was one of the more successful of the Greek colonies, so it would be easy to stock up on enough to reach Tenedos* once they'd retrieved the Trident.

"Well," he added as he pushed himself off the railing and stretched his arms over his head, "at least we are making good time."

Zethos was quiet for a short time.

"Sir?"

"Yes?" Arkantos, hearing the concern in his Second's voice, turned to face him. The younger man's expression reflected his tone.

"What if the reports we are getting from Troy only tell part of the story?"

Arkantos' dark brows furrowed. Seeing his Commander's confusion, he continued.

"From what we have heard, Agamemnon and Menelaus have already secured the ports around the city, and cut them off from outside aid. They've been at it for a long time, and regardless of Troy's walls, shouldn't they have ended the siege by now? Why are they asking for you?"

Arkantos snorted at the question. He knew why they were asking for him.

He was undoubtedly the best Admiral Atlantis had seen in decades, even he knew that. His men were loyal, the people all knew him, and he provided for his city and his people. And he was also a devout follower of the Gods. It was not the first time he had been requested by Greek leaders in their troubles. Then, later, they could claim they had Arkantos under their command, even though Atlantis was only letting them 'borrow' him for a while.

But, even he had to admit, Zethos had a point.

"I suppose, in the end, it doesn't really matter," Arkantos finally replied, turning back to face the sea.

"Theocrat is right, nobody else can represent Atlantis at Troy. I am the Commander of the Atlantean Navy, so the duty is mine. And I don't like it one bit." Here, he grimaced, but continued, "and since we had to come this way anyway after the Pirates, we may as well keep going."

Zethos considered this as Arkantos sighed.

"And there are also the creatures." Zethos' head snapped towards him.

"Poseidon is our Patron; we are his loyal followers, his children through Cleito*. Why would he allow his beasts to our attackers? What have we done to earn his disfavour?"

Arkantos let his eyes glaze over.

"Perhaps this errand is all that is needed to appease Poseidon…"

**A/N:**

**Yeah, I'm not a fan of this chapter. I just wanted it out of the way. Sorry, I'll try better next time. I may also update this chapter, rewrite some bits later when I feel more up to it.**

**A little background for Troy. Homer's Troy is generally agreed to be the Troy VII layer of the excavated site in Turkey. There are about 9 of them altogether. It was previously believed that Troy II, discovered by Heinrich ****Schliemann in 1868. Troy VII is believed to have been destroyed by war, which would support Homer's description of the Burning and Sack of Troy, as well as scenes depicted on Attic pottery. Skeletons have been found in both houses and in the streets, one with skull injuries and a broken jawbone, in addition to a number of bronze arrowheads. While this somewhat supports the agreed conclusion that Troy VII was the Troy described in Homer's epic poem, the **_**Iliad**_**, only a small portion of Troy VII has been excavated, so the theory has not been verified. In my fic, I want to combine the AoM storyline as it is with what I have learned studying Ancient History and Ancient Mythology. Syracuse was founded in 700 BCE, while Troy VII dates to the 1300-1190 BCE, much earlier than the founding of Syracuse by the Greeks. Schliemann's Troy is dated to 2600-2250 BCE, obviously much, **_**much **_**earlier. In light of this, I am just going to say that Syracuse was already established by this point. AoM is a very basic game, and it really doesn't matter if I entirely stick to historical truths, as much as I want to.**

**I also realize it would NOT take days to get from the supposed site of Atlantis to the Straits to Troy.**

**~~~CreatedInFyre7.**

**Glossary time! (New form)**

Pillars* - The Pillars of Hercules (Herakles for the Greek) is the ancient name for the Strait of Gibraltar, the pass into the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic.

Syracuse* - Syracuse was founded by the Ancient Corinthian Greeks and Teneans around 700 BCE (unsure of approximate date). It is now the capital of the province of Syracuse, at the southern end of the Italian Peninsula. See further in **Author's Notes**.

Tenedos* - Tenedos (Greek) or Bozcaada (Turkish), is an island located off modern Turkey, very near the archaeological site of Troy.

Cleito* - Cleito is the name of the mortal woman Poseidon fell in love with and have five sets of male twins with, the oldest of which was called Atlas (see _Omens, Part 2_), just before creating Atlantis.


End file.
